Shears utilizing hydraulic pressure for cutting various materials are known. This invention relates to an apparatus for shearing workpieces such as unistrut or garage door track. The need arises at construction sites for cutting unistrut or garage door tracks so they can be fitted into a smaller space and/or joining them end to end in other applications. Conventionally, rotary cutters or cutting presses were employed to this end. Such conventional machines were mostly not portable but were permanently installed. In addition these methods often expose the craftsman to harm as a finger or hand can get cut under a rotary cutter. When on the construction site, hand-held rotary cutters expose the craftsman to heightened injury as the hand-held cutters can slip off the workpiece.
An objection to the prior art cutting machines is that the machines are so bulky and heavy, that they could not be transported to construction sites without difficulty. Some of the cutting presses are additionally objectionable because they cut by punching, not by shearing, so that the punchings created are wasted. These objections are based in the loss of time, the heightened potential for injury, and the waste material due to the prior art cutting.
There remains a need for a shear that is portable and light enough to carry by hand to a construction site and lowers the risk of construction site injury.
All US patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Without limiting the scope of the invention in any way, the invention is briefly summarized in some of its aspects below. Additional details of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below.
A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72.